Andornot Blog

The CRNBC web site (formerly the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia) is another web site redesign project with an update to use our WebPublisher Developer Kit (WPDK) and Shopping Cart. Our latest WPDK version includes a "Blacklist" feature where the "Add to Cart" option is ommitted in the search results page if there are certain values in a field (ie. Loan Policy = Library Use Only; Record Type = Reference).

"Simple is better" was the main theme for this site, which uses our Web Publisher Developer Kit (WPDK) Page Template layout system. This project also involved converting and importing data from WCB's original library automation software SydneyPLUS. We are currently hosting WCB's web catalogue and updating it monthly from their Inmagic Genie OPAC system.

BRAINlinks is a database of Recommended Web Resources produced by the Mohawk College Library. You can browse by subject (using canned searches) as well as a perform Quick and Advanced searches. Using our EmailSavePrint (ESP) Add-on, you can can also check off resources and view your selections to Email them to either yourself or to a colleague; Save; or Print your list. Click on one of the Topic Searches and notice there are actually 2 results sets on one screen. The first showing just appropriate See Also references and the second showing a brief record.

Imagine Canada's NonprofitsCan.ca web site is one of this year's multifaceted projects. Along with implementing a new web site template, our EmailSavePrint (ESP), we also developed a Ratings Add-on module where users can submit comments, rate resources and provide comments on their usefullness. We also added a web based Administration area where ratings and comments can be reviewed and approved to be displayed along with each catalogue record. Finally, we also created Imagine Canada's "Special Collections" catalogues which are subsets of their catalogue each having their own search interface.

Here's some light beach reading done on our recent holidays (vacation for all you American readers). Yes, I have now more than adequately proven that I am a geek. But at least my wife still loves me.

I grabbed it before heading out of country as it's pretty much the first ASP.NET 2.0 book published for the final VS release - and it's not a dumbed-down overview (although, while it states that it's aimed at intermediate-advanced, it's more accurately beginner-intermediate/advanced). From what I've gone through so far (Reigna keeps me rather busy), it's proven to be a great resource. Great overview of 2.0 while providing non-stupid/non-useless real-world examples. Data access coverage is great: it's a small thing, but it's surprising how many resources neglect to mention the importance of closing your connections - this resource is one of the few that does. All in all, pretty much 1000+ pages with minimal fluff. There is one yucky bit in the second chapter discussing Visual Studio 2005:

One convenient way to organize content in a web page is to place it in the different cells of an HTML table using the table tag...in Visual Studio 2005, life gets easier. To try it, drag a table from the HTML tab of the Toolbox. You'll start with a standard 3x3 table, but you can quickly transform it using editing features that more closely resemble a word processor than a programming tool...With these conveniences, you might never need to resort to a design tool like Dreamweaver.

Ikes! A word processor?!? Noooooo! Good thing the authors know their stuff on everything else. I wish I didn't have to resort to Dreamweaver, but if this is what is lauded as stellar design tool improvements in VS, somebody needs their head checked. Take a look at Dreamweaver 8 (and weep). VS CSS support still, well...let's leave it unsaid. But heh, out of 1000+ pages, only one page that needs to be burned is not bad at all. When I've finished, I'll likely come back and do a better overview (or not). So far, highly recommended.